Search Dictionary
Definition of crabtree
crabtree
/ˈkræbˌtriː/
crab · tree
Plural:crabtrees
crabtree Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
7
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A wild or cultivated tree of the genus Malus, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, known for producing small, tart fruit called crab apples and often grown for its ornamental spring blossoms.
Example
"We gathered fallen fruit from the old crabtree to make a batch of tart, homemade jelly."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for crabtreeWord Origin & Etymology
From Late Middle English 'crabtree', a combination of 'crab' (referring to the small, sour fruit, likely of Scandinavian origin) and 'tree'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Crabtree. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/crabtree